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The television group (Kevin, Kelsey, and Elizabeth) covered many topics during the presentation. They began with the history of television, discussed different television programming and Nielson ratings, and ended with how to get involved with the television industry.

Television has evolved in many ways, and the group did a good job showing what television is today and how it has recently changed. I don’t think they spend enough time on how television began, though. They briefly mentioned that it started a black and white, perhaps because that’s common knowledge, but I would love to know why and how it switched to color.

At one point, Elizabeth asked what television programming we believe is the most popular (drama, quiz shows, detective stories, etc.). I had been expecting her to say reality shows and sitcoms are the most popular, but in fact sports and sitcoms are the most popular. I hadn’t factored in sports as a genre, but it makes perfect sense. I completely agree with what she said because both men and women will watch sports and sitcoms, while reality shows or talk shows are more likely to draw a smaller, more niched group of viewers.

The most interesting part of the presentation was the information about different networks: O&O’s, affiliates, and syndicated shows. I had heard these terms but didn’t understand very much about their differences. I wish they had spent a little more time discussing the different networks, but the brief information was interesting.

The television presentation group ended by talking about different ways to get involved with tv, from internships and temporary entertainment positions to volunteering. They said internships often include writing, directing and programming. Temp agencies give opportunities to meet influential people and make connections, but often require many not-so-glamerous jobs. Finally, volunteering is an easy way to get experience and it a great way to put yourself out there, but it is essentially an unpaid job.

Overall the group gave a lot of information about television, but 90% of it was straight from the television chapter in the book. They did a good job presenting, but I wanted to learn more from their own research. I will say that they tried to make it fun with candy and a quiz on 90’s television show characters, but at the end of the day I left a little bummed that I hadn’t learned anything new.

Public Relations is a confusing topic when trying to separate PR with advertising. The group that presented on Tuesday (MeMe, Taylor, Abigail, and Sarah Brook) began their presentation by explaining what PR actually is. It proved to be a great way to start, because it prepared me for the rest of their presentation and helped clear up the differences between advertising and PR.

The group covered many topics very thoroughly, including the history of PR, major trends in PR, and difference/similarities in both PR and journalism, as well as PR and advertising. One of the major trends they spent a lot of time discussing was social networking. They said that it is one of the most important parts of PR, and I agree. Social networking, whether through Facebook, Twitter, or another source, is an easy and cheap way to gain a lot of publicity.

In my opinion, the most interesting part of the presentation was the information about different PR occupations and skills that are needed. I didn’t realize that writing is the most important part of PR. From reading the book chapter, I knew there were many important skills needed, but the presentation proved to me that good, quality writing is the most important thing.

The Public Relations presentation group ended by talking briefly about PR today. They said that PR focuses mainly on three categories: the economy, relationships, and social media. I hadn’t thought of it that way before, but it makes complete sense. Basically everything I see, read, or hear about that is related to PR is about one of these three topics.

The group did a good job with their presentation. I learned a lot in a short period of time, and they were able to teach not only what was in the book, but also more detailed information that they found through their own research. Although it was hard to follow what they were saying at times, simply because they sometimes spoke too quickly, the content was great and I left class knowing more than when I came in.